Barnum et al. U.S. Pat. No. 6,671,577, Dec. 30, 2003, describes a system and method for directly connecting an ISS advanced facer canceler system (IAFCS) to a DBCS/OSS. As noted in that patent, the contents of which are incorporated by reference herein, conventional mail systems now in use by the USPS process stamped mail through a plurality of separate machines, including an advanced facer canceler system/input subsystem (IAFCS), an optical character reader (OCR) machine, and a delivery bar code sorter/output subsystem (DBCS/OSS). IAFCS places incoming mail into a single file line in a pinch belt, checks for appropriate postage on mail, cancels the postage, and stacks the mail in bins. IAFCS positions the mail upright between a pair of pinch belts with either the stamp leading and the address on the front side or the stamp trailing and the address on the back side. IAFCS obtains a picture image of the stamped side of each piece of mail and prints a mail identifier (ID tag) on each mail piece on the side opposite the stamped side that is stored along with the image. The image is used to determine mail type such as printed address and script address. After canceling the postage, IAFCS sorts the mail into bins based on mail type. Each mail type has two bins, one for mail with the stamp leading and one for mail with the stamp trailing The machines that next process the mail, such as DBCS/OSS, require that all the mail be positioned with the stamp leading. An operator takes the stamp trailing mail from a bin of the IAFCS and places it in a stamp leading position to combine with the stamp leading mail before feeding into the DBCS/OSS. Based on the mail type, the operator then moves the mail to the next processing point. Mail that has been imprinted by the IAFCS with a UV bar code, ID tag, is taken directly to the DBCS/OSS. DBCS/OSS prints a bar code onto the mail by querying the IPSS system for the result of computer OCR or operator video coding associated with the ID tag of the mail. DBCS/OSS sorts the mail into a plurality of stackers based on the bar code data which reflects the mail destination.
A processing method according to the '577 patent processes mail through a postage verifier having an optical character reader, mail interface system, and a mail sorter. The mail interface system includes an upward module carrying mail up to an overhead transport positioned at a height above an output of the postage verifier, and a downward module carrying mail down from the overhead transport to the mail sorter. The method includes verifying and canceling postage, positioning mail pieces in a same configuration in a single file line, directing mail pieces up the upward module, directing mail pieces through the overhead transport, directing mail pieces down the downward module to a mail sorter, and sorting the mail based on destination. The interface module referred to directly connects the IAFCS machine to the DBCS/OSS sorter, eliminating the need for manual transfer of mail between these machines.
Difficulties remain notwithstanding the potential improvement such a Direct Connect between the IAFCS machine and the sorter could provide. One such problem arises in connection with FIM (facing identification mark) mail. Facing identification marks are ⅝ inch tall vertical bars beginning at the top of the envelope near the stamp. There are 4 types of FIM:
FIM A: Courtesy reply and metered reply, Postnet bar code required
FIM B: Business reply mail, Postnet bar code not required
FIM C: Business reply mail, Postnet bar code required
FIM D: Non fluorescent IBI and PC postage, Postnet bar code not required
The most common usage is for “remittance” mail, FIM A and C that consists of bills being paid by customers of a utility company, for example.
Currently, FIM A and C are detected on the IAFCS and sorted out for special handling to reserved bins on the IAFCS. FIM A and C mail from multiple AFCS machines within a processing and distribution center, P&DC, is collected and funneled to a single DBCS machine for sorting due to the time critical nature of remittance mail. If Direct Connect is implemented and the FIM mail is passed on to the DBCS/OSS and not intercepted at the IAFCS, an additional processing step is added with respect to the existing method and a corresponding undesirable delay in processing of the FIM mail is incurred. If the FIM is pulled out at the IAFCS, this causes a loss of as much as 25% of the mail from the IAFCS machines. If the Direct Connect of the '577 patent is implemented under these circumstances, the DBCS/OSS sorting machine linked to the IAFCS machine becomes “starved”, that is, does not receive enough mail from the IAFCS machine to operate efficiently The present invention addresses this problem and opens up new sorting possibilities by providing a sorting machine that is in effect several sorting machines with the capability of passing mail to be sorted between them automatically. Consolidation of inputs from multiple front ends eliminates the need for secondary sorting operations to alleviate partial trays of mail.
Edmonds U.S. Patent Publication 20030208298, Nov. 6, 2003, describes a method and system for single pass letter and flat processing. As part of the process, the '298 publication notes that use of two interconnected OCR sorting machines expands the capacity of such machines over the two machines used separately. However, this publication provides no specific guidance as to how such capability should be implemented.